Steamed Pumpkin Nian Gao (Pumpkin Chinese New Year Cake)
Course: Chinese New Year
Cuisine: Chinese
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 3 hourshours
Total Time: 3 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings: 16-inch round cake
Calories: 1763kcal
Author: Marvellina
Soft and chewy Chinese New Year steamed cake with a flavor of pumpkin. You only need 4 ingredients to make this cake. It can be steamed or pressure cooked. The cake is naturally gluten-free.
I use 6 inches round pan about 2 inches in height. I line the pan with banana leaves
Blanch the banana leaves in hot boiling water for about 5 minutes to soften it. Then pat dry and set aside. Cut the banana leaves to line the base of the pan and then line the leaf horizontally and then vertically like a “+” (overlapping at the bottom of the dish) and then diagonally like an “X” to make sure I cover all the side and bottom of the dish
Prepare nian gao batter:
Place both sugar and coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer or until sugar is melted. Do not let it come to a hard boil as the coconut milk will separate. Remove from the heat and let it cool down to at least warm
Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to mix. Then add the glutinous rice flour and whisk until combined. The consistency of the batter should be slightly thick and pourable. If your batter is too thick and you can't pour the batter, you can add a bit more liquid one tablespoon at a time If lumps persist, simply strain it with a sieve and then pour into the prepared pan lined with banana leaves. If you don't use banana leaves, use parchment paper to line the pan so you can remove the cake easily later
Steamer method:
Prepare the steamer by bringing the water to a rolling boil. Give the nian gao batter a stir and pour nian gao batter into the prepared pan and cover with aluminum foil or wrap the lid of the steamer with a dry kitchen towel. Place inside the steamer and steam on high heat for 30 minutes and then lower the heat and steam for 2 1/2 – 3 hours or longer. You may need to refill the water in the steamer throughout the cooking process. Don't let it dry out
The nian gao will still appear very soft at the end of cooking time and that’s very normal. You need to let the nian gao cool down completely. Wrap them up with plastic wrapper and they will be ready in 2 days. At day 3, the nian gao will be much more firm and can be sliced. After day 3, I recommend to wrap them up and keep them in the refrigerator or they can start to get moldy (because we don’t put preservatives). They can keep for months in the freezer however
Instant Pot method:
Pour 1 cup of water into the inner pot. Set the trivet. Place the pan on top of the trivet. Cover with aluminum foil. Close the lid. Pressure release valve to seal and press pressure cooker, high pressure. I recommend using aluminum or stainless steel pan as they conduct heat better. I don't recommend using a thick glass container. Set the timer to 75 minutes and then natural release
The cake will still appear very soft and that's very normal. If you insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake, it will still be wet. Don't worry. It has to cool down completely and you will see that the cake will firm up and the top will dry. Let it cool down at room temperature for 6 hours or overnight
Cooling down and storing:
Let it cool down completely and then wrap with aluminum foil. Let it sit at room temperature for at least 24 hours before unmoulding or attempting to cut. They will get slightly firmer. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 1 week if it’s not humid. They can be refrigerated for up to 6 months
Notes
I use half sugar and half brown sugar and that's why the color of the nian gao came out more on the brown side than the orange/yellow pumpkin color. If you use all white sugar, the color of the pumpkin will shine through better